The One He Needs
by Storytellermama
Summary: Takes place during and immediately following Salvation and is told through Lois' viewpoint. Possible SPOILERS for Season 10.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story has spoilers for Season 9 and some of Season 10. Mostly my ideas of what I saw after seeing the Comic Con Season 10 preview and what happens during and right after Salvation ended. It starts immediately after Zod throws Lois across the street. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Superman or any of the characters. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only. **

Chapter 1

She opened her eyes and waited for the pain. Her elbow was a little sore but the rest of her seemed perfectly whole. Undamaged. She stood up slowly, wondering if her body was deceiving her. No…she was fine. She glanced around and saw broken glass and flowers littering the street. Tulips scattered every which way. What had happened? She glanced around nervously; worried that Zod would be lurking around waiting to finish the job. And that's when she saw something that made her heart begin to beat erratically. The white S shield, like a beacon in the night. And then her gaze traveled above the shield into the shadows. She couldn't see his face, never knew what color his hair was, or the color of his eyes. The man who lurked in the shadows always watching out for her, always protecting her when she needed him the most.

Slowly, she made her way to him, stepping around the shards of broken glass. "Can you forgive me for thinking he was you?" He said nothing so she pleaded with him softly; "Please say something" turned around so his identity would remain a secret as she got closer to him and offered the book of Rao to him over her shoulder. He still didn't break the silence. "Anything?"

She felt him move behind her and grasp the book of Rao and felt a surge of disappointment when she thought he would take it and simply zip off. Instead he clasped her hand below the disk as well. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of him. That was it. That's what Zod was missing. Not only was Zod's hand smaller than the Blur's but it didn't fit hers as well as the Blur's had. Most importantly what was missing was the warmth of the Blur's touch and the way his hand caressed hers and said so much with out words, without sound. Before she knew what was happening he tugged her towards him while spinning her around to face him. Keeping a tight hold on her hand and the book, his other hand gripped her firmly around her waist. Lois kept her eyes closed to keep his face a secret. No matter what she was willing to give up to know who he really was, she couldn't risk it. No matter how selfish she wanted to be. Briefly she thought of Clark and felt guilty for letting the Blur hold her as closely as he was.

All thoughts of guilt fled as he leaned in and kissed her and with so much passion, she could scarce catch her breath. He kissed her with a sense of urgency, as though scared she would push him away at any moment or simply stop the kiss. She was enveloped in his scent, his warmth and his sheer presence. Lois's thoughts swirled around her in a confused cloud. She knew this man, knew what he felt like, smelled like, and definitely what he tasted like, outside of the dark alleys, without the black clothing. _She loved this man. _

Just as quickly as he was there, he was gone. He had saved her once again, even after everything that had happened that night. Lois tried to catch her breath and made her way unsteadily back to the phone booth. She smiled suddenly, relieved and so proud, and finally understanding these last few weeks, last few years really.

"Clark" she sighed.

He was her Blur. The two men she loved and cared about most in this world, _were one and the same_. She was startled out of her thoughts when she almost missed the step on the curb. She wasn't paying attention to what she was doing. She better get out of here in one piece and then she could think things over. Where to go though? She looked around her and thought it was probably safest to go to the Daily Planet and wait out the rain, at least until she decided if she wanted to go back to the Kent Farm or the Talon. Not only that, but she wanted to pull some information from the Planet's archives. She had a feeling all the clues were there to follow, but she had never sensed the mystery behind her plaid wearing farm boy. She had assumed what she saw was what she got.

She walked around carefully knowing that Clark was long gone and wouldn't be around if she got into anymore mischief. She glanced around at the deserted streets. It was still dark out with the light shower that was coming down. It would probably start downpouring any minute now. Putting her hands back in her pockets she moved along at a quicker pace.

She thought back over the last few hours. This time she understood more. The cryptic language in the journal Clark had in his trunk. Someone had taken this foreign language and no doubt painstakingly translated the meanings. She recognized the S that the Blur, that Clark, had chosen to use a symbol of hope for the people of Metropolis. She would wait for Clark to explain this bit. She was still unsure what it all meant. She had thought that he was a meteor freak, but apparently that may not be the case. She thought back to when Zod had approached her earlier that day. Saying he was the Blur. He had super sped in front of her when she started to walk away. She had thought only the Blur could do that, but she had been wrong about a lot of things lately.

Unhappily she came to a realization. She didn't know how long she had been talking to Zod as the Blur but it must have been for quite some time. At least as long as she had a direct number to call him and every single time she had been with Clark and had step away to take her phones calls with some privacy.

Clark had tried to warn her weeks ago. She had chalked it up to jealously but as she thought about it, he had been desperate for her to understand, to be cautious and careful. _"Lois…do you even know who you're talking to?"_ She had fought with him, insisting that the Blur needed her, would protect her and the least she could do was protect his identity. She so much as told the Blur the same thing when he had saved her after she had crashed the former D.A.'s release party. _"I would give anything to see your face, hear your voice. But you can't protect us if we know who you are."_

When she hadn't listened to Clark, because she's been pigheaded and stubborn, he told her the only way he knew she would listen. He called her as the Blur and made sure to call her at the same phone booth that they had their first conversation at, some place that was important to both of them. Someplace that Zod wouldn't have known about. He had said goodbye to her and told her their relationship was putting her in danger. _"I won't be calling you anymore. If anyone calls pretending to be me, don't believe them."_ She had been heartbroken.

She had told him that she couldn't know who he was and at the very next turn she got mad at Clark for not spilling all his secrets to her.

Their conversation just hours ago echoed in her thoughts. _"Clark, I need you to start being honest with me. Please." _

He had denied everything, telling her there was nothing to tell. She felt terrible for putting him through this. How torn he must have been. To hear her tell him one thing as the Blur and a completely different thing as Clark Kent. He had stood there asking her if he would be enough for her when the Blur called her the final time. She couldn't give him an answer. It wasn't that she didn't love him. She did, more than anything. But she had been scared to tell him just how much and she was scared that she would never live up to the idea of the type of woman he should be with. Clark was all things good and gentle and deserved more in life than just an army brat trying to find her way in the world. The work she was doing with the Blur felt like it was the kind of work that she could be proud of. To know that she was helping people in the world and helping a hero who was battling it all by himself and needed her.

"_That's when I knew. That you were the one I always needed. And I needed you to know that."_ Clark's words to her in the loft earlier echoed in her head.

It had made her so distrustful of him, hearing Clark say those words and then the very next few minutes tell her he was keeping nothing from her. It was all so clear now. She didn't blame him for not telling her. After all, she was the one to tell him a little mystery would do him good. To know that the most powerful man in the world thought he needed her. Lois Lane. She didn't quite know how to deal with that.

Something was bothering her though. Why did Clark kiss her as the Blur, knowing full well he didn't tell her his secret hours before? Why was Zod using her all this time? Because of the disk that Clark had taken back from her? Was that something he needed to fight Zod? Lois began to get a terrible feeling in her gut. Now that she thought about it the kiss felt more and more like goodbye. Zod had the same powers that Clark did, which meant he could probably hurt him as well. She remembered the story she was researching about the aliens. How there were supposedly lots of them. What if they were are with Zod and were going to go after Clark?

Maneuvering around the streets she pulled out her cell phone. Maybe Chloe would know where Clark was. Those two shared a connection that went past friendship. Lois had feeling that Chloe knew and had known Clark's secret for some time.

The phone rang and then went to voicemail. No luck there.

Then suddenly, a bright light shot straight up from the Planet's rooftop, splitting the dark clouds with the powerful beam. Something was really wrong…she could feel it.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This story has spoilers for Season 9 and some of Season 10. Mostly my ideas of what I saw after seeing the Comic Con Season 10 preview and what happens during and right after Salvation ended. It starts immediately after Zod throws Lois across the street. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Superman or any of the characters. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only. **

**Thank you for all the reviews and comments so far. They are greatly appreciated!**

Chapter 2

She still had several blocks to go to get to the Planet but she had the feeling that something was really wrong right this moment. Whatever was going on with Zod, whatever Clark was battling, it was taking place right there and she needed to be there! She broke into a full on run.

Dr Fate's prediction months before echoed in her head,_ "You will be the one he needs; he will be the one you need. The Savior, the Sentient Power._"

She had almost made it to the building entrance when something made her stop and dash around the back of the building instead. She looked up nervously and saw something barreling down from the sky at an unnatural speed. No, no, no….it looked like a body!

She didn't know what to do, she could only run as fast as she could. She was too slow and the body was falling to quickly. She looked away at the last minute and flinched as she heard his body make impact, unable to see harm come to him.

She shook her head and let the tears fall unrelenting down her face. Preparing herself for the worst, she forced herself to look at him and saw Smallville lying motionless on the ground. Blood oozed from cuts on his face, his chest and from his abdomen, where a blade protruded from his gut. The Shield that had sat proudly on his shirt was barely recognizable as the shirt was shredded in places and the white color was soaked in Clark's blood. She threw herself across him, sobs wracking her body, and she was powerless to stop them. She fisted his shirt material in her hands.

He was not invincible, this man she loved, this Savior of this city. Smallville himself told her that on the phone last year. He had left her a letter as the Blur, to say goodbye as he was facing some unknown threat and wasn't sure if he would make it.. Instead Jimmy had died, and knowing what Lois knew now, he had a feeling that Clark's disappearance immediately following that was linked to whatever had happened that night.

And then she heard it. His heart beat. Not strong, not at all, but she certainly was not imagining it. She sat up and wiped the tears away. She needed to be strong for Clark, he deserved no less than that.

There was still hope, but she didn't know what to do. Get him out of the alley for starters? No, she probably shouldn't move him until she could tell how injured he was. She had no idea how his body worked whether she would be doing him more harm than good. She looked to the heavens wondering what on earth to do.

The answer came to her as the bright beam in the sky abruptly disappeared, shrouding the alley into darkness. She crossed her fingers that this would work, but she had a feeling that Clark would heal faster than she could even begin to imagine, but this dagger was doing something to him.

Grasping the dagger's handle with both hands, Lois closed her eyes and let out a slow breath and pulled it out as quickly as she could. She could only hope that it pulled out smoothly, not causing more damage on the way out. It appeared to work, but that didn't stop Clark from groaning loudly and his eyes cinching closed tighter in pain.

Glancing at the blade laying across her hands, the blue color seemed to glow unnaturally. She needed to get this away from Clark and the sooner the better. She looked around and made a beeline for the metal trash dumpster down on the far end of the alley. She put the blade under her boot and broke the blade into small slivers and then picked them up and scattered them across the dumpster dropping the lid down with a loud clunk.

Hurrying back to Clark and laying her hand across his forehead she could tell he was burning up. She lifted his shirt gently to see the extent of his other injuries and as she ran a hand lightly across his chest, he groaned slightly and began to stir. Not having enough time, she made a quick decision, but she felt it was the best one for now. She stood up quickly and moved outside of his line of sight.

She would stay nearby where she could keep an eye on him and make sure he was not unguarded, but so that he didn't know she was there. Maybe it would be best for Clark if he didn't know she knew his secret after all. He had his reasons for not telling her, but most importantly, she didn't want to stand in the way of what this man meant to the people of this city with his everyday heroics. They needed and depended on him.

She looked up startled as the dark clouds began to move away and the sun began to filter through the clouds that remained. They still had a couple more hours of daylight and a sunny one at that. She glanced back at Clark and was shocked to see that he was opening his eyes and beginning to try to sit up. Her heartstrings tugged. She wanted to go to him, to help him up and get him somewhere safer. Smallville deserved better treatment than to wake up wounded in a dirty alley, alone.

_It's for the best Lois. You need to let him do his job and not get in his way_" She tried to convince herself. _It's not about what you want, it's about what he needs. And right now he needs to be able to do his work with out you interfering. _

He stood up then, running his hand through his wet hair. He looked around warily and then she saw him lift up his shirt and look at the spot where the dagger had been. She looked at him in wonder. If she didn't know any better, the gash looked smaller and less severe than it had moments earlier. He glanced around once more and then looked straight where she was hiding.

Nervously, she crouched lower and made herself as small as could be. She didn't hear him come over but she still thought it best to count to ten, and only then did she sneak a peek around the corner.

Smallville was still there, but his fists were clenched and he stood upright facing the Sun with his eyes closed. He let the warm rays touch his skin and if Lois didn't know any better she would have thought it was almost as if he was absorbing the sunlight. She watched curiously as he stood still and did this for several minutes. She glanced around the alley and made sure they were still alone. It wouldn't help him one bit if he was doing his thing and she was too busy staring at Clark and someone was able to sneak up on them both unawares.

Then he opened his eyes and stood more casually. He wasn't looking any where in particular; it was almost as if he was trying _not_ to look around. She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice. It was strong, despite his current appearance.

"Who ever you are, If you're still here somewhere, Thank you." Lois closed her eyes, relieved that he was going to be okay.

And then he was gone with no evidence of his having been there, except for a gentle rustle of air. Lois shivered as it drifted towards her. She breathed a sigh of relief. He knew someone had helped him but hadn't even begun to guess it was her. She didn't know if she was more relieved or disappointed. She stood up, setting her shoulders back. She had some research to do. There were still too many unanswered questions, and not nearly enough answers.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This story has spoilers for Season 9 and some of Season 10. Some new pictures of the series premiere have been released so that's the direction my story is going to take. I thought I would switch it up a bit and tell the story from Clark's POV for a few chapters. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Superman or any of the characters. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only. **

**I love feedback on my writing so comments and reviews are greatly appreciated!**

Chapter 3

He couldn't hear anything at first and then sounds began to filter into his ears slowly. Was he dead? In the Phantom Zone? Was it supposed to be this quiet?

He hurt everywhere…the last time he hurt this badly was when he was stabbed with a green kryptonite dagger weeks ago. John Corben had infiltrated the Fortress and had saved him from Zod and most importantly _himself,_ when he'd been exposed to red kryptonite.

Clark felt soaked to the bone. His clothes stuck to him like a second skin. He could tell he was on a hard surface but he couldn't remember what he had just been doing. If he was lying in bed why wasn't it more comfortable? And why was he so wet?

All of a sudden he had the sensation of his skin being ripped apart in his lower abdomen. Pinpricks of relief trickled through his stomach. He was still in pain and still throbbing from the force, but if felt almost like his body was healing. He felt a cool sensation brush across his forehead, but couldn't make out what the feeling was. He shifted and tried to move starting with his eyes but even the effort of opening them felt impossible.

His body tingled as it always did when his superpowers were beginning to filter back into his body. With another try he finally opened his eyes prepared for the worst. His powers might be returning but he'd suffered quite a bit of bodily damage. Sitting up he tried to get his bearings. Looking around he had landed in an alley way.

In the sky directly above him, he could see the Daily Planet's globe circling the rooftop. The Sun was beginning to filter through the clouds and onto the street below. He breathed a deep sigh of relief. He was alive.

It was all coming back to him. He remembered what had happened and what he'd just been through. He wasn't in another plane of existence. Zod and the Kandorians were gone. He'd seen Zod disappear himself. He'd jumped off the roof with the Blue Kryptonite dagger and tried to get as far away from Zod as possible. It had worked.

Standing up slowly he tried to maintain his balance. Running his hands through his hair he shook the water off. The rain must have stopped just recently and the Sun was almost completely out from behind the clouds. He looked down half expecting to see the dagger deeply imbedded in his gut but there was nothing there except a tear in the fabric of his shirt. He ran a hand under the shirt and lifted it up. Seeing the slowly closing wound, he let his shirt end drop and looked around cautiously. He focused but he could only hear light echoes of sounds, not anywhere near the clarity or decibel of sound he normally could. .

_Wait a second. There it was again_.

Something had moved around behind the building next door to the Planet. The building had been vacant for so long but had recently been bought and the new owners were making improvements to the interior. With all the plastic up and remodeling going on there were all types of nooks and crannys where the wrong person could be lurking behind the dumpsters or crates that were sitting near the exit.

He stared down the way for a moment but couldn't get his super hearing to work. If someone was there, they obviously didn't mean him any harm or they would have done their damage while he was unconscious for who knows how long.

He needed to move on and soon, but he needed a little more energy. Closing his eyes and hoping that he would still be safe for a little bit, he spread out his arms and let the Sun's rays penetrate his body. He'd talked to Chloe about feeling the Sun's heat once long ago. From her explanation, he did not experience it quite the same way a human would. When he felt the Sun's rays, especially at his weakest, it felt like his body was warming up from the inside out, and yet his skin would feel cool to the touch. His Mom had thought it was his body's way of protecting him from the Sun heat even though he needed it's warmth but too much too fast would be hard on his body, super body that it was. .

Several minutes later, feeling more energized but still not quite himself, he focused on his surroundings once more. He coed his eyes and checked to see if his super hearing was working. He looked around and then stopped not wanting to alert anyone if they were watching him. Looking down he made sure his focus was near the outer doors of the building next door. Where he had thought he had heard a sound before.

_Strong and steady. A heartbeat. Softly controlled breathing_.

There was someone there and had been for quite some time by the sounds of it. No labored breathing or fast heart rate. This person had been sitting still for some time. But they were making no attempt to harm him, or come near him. They obviously didn't want to be seen. Was it one of the team come to help him? No. They would have made their presence known. He was half tempted to use his x-ray vision, but knew that would exert what little energy he had gained.

He thought back over the last few minutes. He knew why he had woken up when he had. Someone had pulled the dagger from his body right before he came to. Who ever it was, Clark was sure this person had saved his life. They obviously did not want to be found out and he would honor that wish. He owed them that much.

He almost left without saying anything, but he did not want this person's deed to go unnoticed.

Surprised his voice did not come out strained and weak he said, "Who ever you are, if you're still here somewhere: Thank you."

Satisfied he'd made the right decision, he heard the heartbeat quicken as if they were scared. He didn't stick around to add to their fear. He super sped off.

Arriving at Watchtower, he headed to the tower to make sure to check in with the team. The place was as he'd left it hours ago. There was something in the air though.

The monitors were all on, and there was some kind of feed coming through. The cameras showed various landmarks around the city and the globe as well. No burning buildings, no flying Kandorians. Metropolis was safe, as was the world.

And then he saw her. Chloe. Typing as if her fingers were on fire. Intent on something.

"Chloe."

She stopped what she was doing and turned and looked at him in wonder. Launching herself across the room and into his arms, "Clark? You're alive?" He could feel her shaking in his arms and he realized that she had begun to cry. He hadn't seen her like this in ages, not since Jimmy's death. Something had happened. He had a pretty solid feeling who it involved as well.  
"Chloe? What happened? Is everything okay?"

It was as if a switch was turned on. Chloe immediately straightened and pulled away. Wiping the tears off her face, the only thing that gave away her current state of mind was the shakiness to her voice.

"It's Oliver. He was captured. I lost all communication with him a little while ago."

He gripped her arms and crouched down to look her better in the eyes. "_Who_ has him Chloe?"

She shook her head, her eyes tearing up again, "I don't know Clark, I have no idea."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This story has spoilers for Season 9 and some of Season 10. Some new pictures of the series premiere have been released so that's the direction my story is going to take. I thought I would switch it up a bit and tell the story from Clark's POV for a few chapters. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Superman or any of the characters. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only. **

**I love feedback on my writing so comments and reviews are greatly appreciated!**

Chapter 4

"Chloe, I want you to start from the beginning…tell me what happened."

She nodded and then led him to the console. As she typed she filled him in briefly on what had happened. The separate satellite, the maneuving in the vent systems. The multiple dots that had appeared on the radar while she was tracking Oliver.

"'_They're not Kandorian!'_ Those were his last words to me."

Clark noticed a quick glance at him and then she averted her eyes. That wasn't the last thing he'd said to Chloe, but obviously not words she wanted to share with Clark, which was fine by him. The less he knew about her love life the more comfortable he was.

"Have you checked in with the rest of the team?" She nodded. "One step ahead of you, everyone else is accounted for, you included. Ollie was the only one they took."

He nodded at her, and began to back away from the monitors. "I'll go check with Tess and make sure she's not holding on to any other vital pieces of information." He started to super speed off when Chloe stopped him.

"Clark, what exactly happened up there? How did your survive? By the looks of your clothing, that was no easy battle."

He nodded, "There's time for explanations later, right now we need to figure out what happened to Oliver." And with that he was gone.

There would be plenty of time for him to fill her in while he was restoring his energy reserves. Clark had done too much too fast, and it was catching up to him. He really needed to sleep, and soon, while it was still daylight out. But he couldn't make himself stop just yet. He had let Chloe down with Jimmy. He wouldn't make the same mistake with Oliver.

He made a quick stop at the Daily Planet to grab a spare pair of clothes. And by quick, it was quick enough to stir up all the papers on the desks, sending them fluttering every which way. It wouldn't do for him to walk all over Metropolis with his Blur uniform and a bloodied one at that.

Going to the Planet made him thing of Lois.

He still didn't know how he was going to talk to her and tell her he'd been wrong about suggesting she take the job in Africa. That was before. He had thought he was never going to see her again. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted her to stay here. With him, if only so he could keep an eye on her.

No. That was a lie. It wasn't just to protect her. It was because he loved her. He couldn't believe he was the strongest man on the planet and he couldn't get the courage to tell the woman he loved exactly how he felt about her. When did things get so complicated?

He thought back to their final goodbye. He didn't know what had possessed him to kiss her like that. He'd made up his mind that just seeing her one last time was enough, to be the man she adored from afar but never really knew. He'd told Oliver that he didn't want to hurt her anymore. Now he was afraid he'd made an ever bigger mess by kissing her. If he, Clark Kent, was having problems competing for Lois' affection as the Blur, the kiss had just made things ten times more complicated with their love triangle..

It was just that she sounded so disappointed with herself in believing Zod was him. She had pleaded with him to forgive her and to say something to her. He couldn't say anything to her without her recognizing his voice. He could have just held her hand. It would have been enough. He'd done it before. But a part of him acted on impulse.

Selfishly. He did it just because he wanted to do it and there was no other reason. Their farewell in the barn loft had left him with a feeling of their relationship being unresolved. Then he had discovered she had stolen the book of Rao from him. She didn't trust him even after all the years of knowing him.

Mostly though, he just wanted to kiss her goodbye. And curiosity won out. Part of him wanted to know if she would push him away because of her feelings for Clark Kent. And part of him didn't want her to because he wanted to know if her feelings for the Blur were stronger than her feelings for Clark.

He remembered when he had invited her to dinner on the rooftop and she had explained her relationship with the Blur. She said it wasn't like it was with her and Clark but he wondered.

"_I wish you could understand what it feels like to have some kind of responsibility? A calling? That makes _this_ and everything else seem…" She had trailed off unsure how to finish the thought. _

_He knew exactly what she meant. "Selfish? Like there's this whole world out there that needs and depends on you and if you take anything from it, for yourself you're letting someone else down. I _get it_ Lois." _

"_But how?"_

After their kiss, he hadn't gotten the answers he was looking for. He was more confused about them then he ever had been. He'd certainly held nothing back in his kiss. He'd thought he was going to be leaving her. He had a feeling she'd kissed him with as much desperation as he'd shown her. They'd certainly never shared a kiss like that before. Period. He'd have to think on that a bit more when he was rested and not so tired and raw from his experiences that last few hours.

He needed to focus on the task at hand. He needed to do what he could to find Oliver.

Arriving at the hospital, he entered Tess's room only to find it empty and the bed all made up. He went to the nurses' station and asked where they had transferred Tess and the nurse he was speaking with became somewhat agitated. She excused herself for a moment and came back with Dr. Emil Hamilton.

Emil, upon seeing Clark reassured the nurse. "It's okay, I know Mr. Kent." He nodded excusing the nurse.

Gesturing for Clark to follow him, Emil headed to Tess' now empty room. Shutting the door and giving them some privacy, he began by taking his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Clark, the nurse told me you're looking for Tess?" Clark nodded and then looked intently at Emil.

"Is everything okay?"

He shook his head. "Tess died several hours ago." He looked a Clark prepared for any kind of reaction from him.

Clark felt his stomach lurch. There was no love lost between Tess and him, but deep down he truly never wished any harm to come to her. No matter how angry she had made him in the past. And she had redeemed herself somewhat in the end by helping him send off the Kandorians.

Emil continued still looking concerned. What else could have happened to make him look that worried? "The problem is Clark, we don't know where her body is."

Clark's eyebrows went up. "Her body?"

Emil nodded. "After she was declared dead, everyone left the room to go get the final paperwork started and notify the coroner to pick up the body and go about their business as normal. When the Coroner came to get the body it was gone. No one saw anything or knows where she was moved." That couldn't be good. Clark had flashbacks of Lex's work with clones and all sorts of unseemly science experiments. Clark wouldn't put it past Lex to have a backup plan for all the major players in his club.

Clark nodded. "Alright then. I'll look into that after we track down Oliver."

Emil looked surprised. "Oliver? He's missing?"

Clark gave him a quick rundown on what had occurred and Emil promised to be in touch if he heard anything from Oliver or if heard anything else that would help them find him.

Clark made a quick call to John, asking him to continue on with the search of Oliver _and_ Tess before he left the hospital. He barely made it back to the farm with energy to spare. Tossing aside his shirt he sat on the futon briefly. He was dreading this call.

"Chloe, it's me. No luck at the hospital. Tess is dead." Silence on the other end. No need to fill her in on the other bit just quite yet. "I've got John patrolling for a bit and he's gong to try to see if he can figure out where Oliver was taken and by whom."

Whatever she was thinking she kept to herself. "And you need to rest Clark." Before he could explain she cut him off. "I know you well enough to know when you've had your fair dose our favorite meteorite. Don't worry; we'll all keep looking until you can join us in a few more hours. I'm sure Oliver will be fine when we find him, he can hang on a few more hours for us."

He nodded to himself. She would be okay, they'd find him and soon. But something in her tone of voice was bothering him. "Chloe?"

"Yes, Clark?"

"Be careful. And don't do anything extreme okay?"

She laughed but with no humor, "Of course I'll be careful. Don't worry about me, you just rest up and call me when you're ready for an update." And then she ended the call.

Clark lay down on the futon, already feeling his eyes beginning to droop down. Just a few hours would make a world of difference. His last thought was of Lois. He needed to see her and soon. He needed to know where they stood. And then darkness overtook him.

Chloe ended the call on her cell phone. Taking one last look around the JSA meeting room with all the memorabilia, she zeroed in on the case she was looking for. Dr Fate's golden Helmet.

With one last uneasy look around the room, Chloe carefully pried open the glass door and pulled out the helmet. Facing it away from her she took a deep steadying breath. Putting the helmet on, she screamed.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This story has spoilers for Season 9 and some of Season 10. Some new pictures of the series premiere have been released so that's the direction my story is going to take. **

**For the sake of moving the story along and not getting too sidetracked, the events with the Lex clones happened, including the cornfield with Lois in it. She did get to see the suit too. I am going to pretend the scene with Lois and Clark didn't happen at the Daily Planet (even though I loved it!) and Lois didn't leave Clark a letter. It's a phone call. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Superman or any of the characters. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only. **

**I love feedback on my writing so comments and reviews are greatly appreciated!**

"Clark, it's me. I uh, wanted to let you know I thought really hard about what you said and you were right. Going to Africa is the best thing for me right now. I'm heading to any area where the reception is not so great, so I won't be able to call much. I'd better get off the phone. I'll try to write or something as soon as I can." There was a pause and then, "I'm glad you're okay." Another awkward pause, "I mean, with me going to Africa. Thanks for being so supportive. Okay, um, that's all I guess. I'll be seeing you Smallville."

She hung up the phone and ran a hand over her forehead. She hated this. The lying to him. She had thought about going to see him at the barn and she had, but then the whole debacle with the crazy Lex (not that the other Lex was any less so) had happened and she had to rethink what she needed to do. She'd taken the coward's way out to. She didn't go see him in person and she definitely didn't call his cell. She called his work voicemail of all things, at a time when she knew he would not possibly be at the Planet yet. She'd thought about writing a letter or email, but had been worried she'd over think it. Best to just do it and do it fast, and if she called the voicemail at least she couldn't stop and erase it and start over like if she was writing it. .

She had seen the suit that Clark kept in the loft when she meant to surprise him with her visit. It was amazing and _so_ him! His original trademark colors: red and blue and then the yellow thrown in for something a little different form his norm. The best part was the cape. Not to get a girl wrong, she loved the black trench coat and white shield but there was something that her mind conjured up seeing Smallville standing off to the side with cape swirling around him. Instead of hiding in the shadows, putting himself out there and making sure to be seen. If Clark was hoping to inspire people, this was definitely a step in the right direction. _So much better in Technicolor._

Someone really needed to talk to Smallville about locking up the place or at least putting things away. He was too trusting. Why did he have the suit just lying around like that? Where someone, anyone old snoop, could find it and discover who he was? Maybe she was making the wrong decision. Maybe she should go back. If only to protect Smallville from _himself_.

Stepping towards the jeep that waited to take her to her final destination on this trip, Lex's words pounded through her brain. _You will be his greatest weakness. _ The real reason she was dealing with this heat and dust and no modern comforts for miles. Her mind warred with her heart. What was it that Smallville had said to her mere days ago? _"My life has been filled with relationships that have always ended too soon."_

She took a photo out of her bag. In it she was smiling at the camera with her arm extended out to snap the shot while Clark looked only at her and was laughing about something she had said.

"_Even the fastest blur in the world can't outrun loneliness." _ He so looked happy; she liked to think she was the reason for that. For the lightness he seemed to radiate recently. She'd always thought Clark was so serious always worried about something and had no idea why he couldn't lighten up. Well, she certainly knew now and she didn't blame him. Only Clark could do the things he did and still continue to help people, continue to look for the good in people.

After she had left Clark in the alley way she had gone back home to change and then straight to the Planet to research old stories. She found copies of the Smallville Torch and story after story, she could see a pattern. _"I'm the last to know."_ She had to be. There was no way that Chloe didn't know. Pete had to have known as well but Lois wasn't one hundred percent positive about that. And Lana. If Lana knew and hadn't at first that could explain a lot of about her and Clark's back and forth, off and on again relationship. Something else about Lana and Clark's relationship became clear. Lois had noticed that Clark was not one to fight for what he wanted, but rather someone who would do the right thing and give up the things he wanted because of what he felt was his duty.

Like when she told him about the job offer in Africa. Right after he told her that he needed her. He didn't even try to stop her; he immediately said it was for the best. The knucklehead couldn't even fathom why she could possibly want to stay.

"_For you Clark. I would give up Africa to stay, with you." _

She knew now it most likely had to do with getting her out of harm's way. Away from Zod. And what had she done? Gone straight to Zod and almost had a smack down with a phone booth. Well, she was stronger than _she_ looked too. She could stay away from him to make sure no one could use her against him. She loved him that much; she would give up being with him just to protect him.

Her driver pulled the jeep up to their final destination. A field of tents greeted her. After meeting with some of her co-workers, she headed to the tent that would be hers. Perry had sent her here to Egypt first. There was supposed to be some great archaeological find that was thousands of year's old, belonging to a princess and had been long thought destroyed. From what Perry had told her it had something to do with some necklace thought to have magical powers in several stories that had been written and that had supposedly been found. Lois shrugged. If that's what Perry wanted her to write about then that's what she would write about.

Entering the tent, she fought off the wave of loneliness that washed over her. She'd always been a bit of a loner, not really making any permanent friends. That was hard to do being raised an Army brat and being shuttled around from base to base. Lois had always had her sister back then. When she moved to Smallville she had Chloe and then Clark as well. Like it or not Smallville had become her home and she already missed it. Heaving a big sigh she dropped her bags and went to investigate the dig site.

"Oliver, you're not making any sense?" Clark tried unscrambling the jumble that was his friend's words. Oliver seemed frantic.

"She's not here Clark. Where is she? I have this horrible feeling something happened to Chloe."

"Oliver I'm sure she's fine. She was out looking for you so she's most likely chasing down a lead. Did you check in with John? He might have spoken with her? I tried calling her this morning but got her voicemail."

"Clark she left Watchtower open and unlocked. She never does that. The guy that was torturing me said they'd gotten something more valuable than me. When I was released I bumped into another person headed the opposite way. What if Chloe traded herself in?"

Clark was starting to suspect the same thing but didn't want to worry Oliver. "Alright then, check in with John, and she what you can find at Watchtower. I'm heading into the Planet for a few minutes to check in. I need to make sure I don't lose my day job. I'll meet up with you and John within the hour."

Oliver didn't even bother responding, just shut the phone off. Clark headed around the corner. He'd just check a few emails, get his voicemail, see if Randall had anything for him and most importantly check up on Lois. He'd never made it around to see her the day before and he was worried they wouldn't get a chance to talk before things got crazy when he went looking for Chloe.

He came to an abrupt halt and had to double check he'd taken the right turn. A petite blond woman had her back to him and was rifling through a bag on Lois' desk.

"Excuse me ma'am. Is there something I can help you with?"

She whirled around surprised and squealed with delight. "Are you Clark Kent?" Grabbing his hand she enthusiastically began to shake it. "I'm your new partner, Cat Grant. Or I guess I should say temporary partner." Taking a tin out of her bag she offered it to him. "Cookie?"

He shook his head and gestured with his hand. "No, I'm okay thank you. Temporary partner? Where's Lois?"

Her smile faltered for a second and he realized he might have been a bit abrupt in his response. "Sorry, it's just I haven't heard anything from her and that's just not like her. Is everything okay?"

The smile was back, full wattage. Cat nodded. "Oh, it's fine. She took some short term leave or something to go to Africa for an assignment with the famous Perry White. Can you believe it? While she's gone, I'll be staying at the Talon to keep an eye on the place too. So, are you ready for our first big assignment?"

"Assignment?" He looked at her confused. What was going on? He had told Lois to go but from their meeting at the barn and at the very least with the kiss they had shared, he didn't expect her to just turn around and leave. If he knew Lois, and he definitely knew Lois, she would have wanted to have one more talk with him, without making such a big decision, especially with as far as they had come the last few months. They were well past the stage of her getting scared of their relationship and running. Weren't they? Granted, they were still technically broken up, but when had something so minor have stopped Lois?

Cat nodded and walked around the table to grab and notepad and pencil. "Randall said I could shadow you today so you could show me the ropes."

He nodded. This was not good. Putting a finger up, he backed away slowly. "Could you excuse me for just a minute? I just remembered an urgent personal call I have to make." She nodded and turned back to her desk and began clicking away on her keyboard.

He dialed Oliver and not getting an answer he left a message. "Oliver, it's me. I can't get away right now. Lois has gone off on an assignment out of the country and I have a new reporter assigned to work with me today. I don't think I'll be free for a bit. Give me a call if you need anything but I think I'm stuck for a while."

Heading back to his desk, Clark just told Cat that he needed to catch-up on a few emails and voicemails and they could check with Randall to see if he had any leads on a story.

A short while later Clark put the phone receiver down gently. He couldn't believe it. Why had Lois called him at work? She knew he wouldn't be there yet. Things were not adding up. Something in the tone of her voice bothered him and the abruptness of her departure. She hadn't wanted to talk to him, or see him for that matter. She had told Randall where she was going to be, and until he could get away to check up on her himself, he'd have to make do with some help. Dialing a number he looked to make sure his "partner" was otherwise occupied. "Carter? Listen, I need a favor. Are you still in Cairo?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the long time in between updates. Life got in the way and then to top it off I had writer's block. Regarding this story specifically. I will probably only do one more Chapter after this to finish up the story and then do some shorter ones as sequels if I can come up with some ideas. The next chapter shouldn't take me nearly as long to upload. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or Superman or any of the characters. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only. **

**I love feedback on my writing so comments and reviews are greatly appreciated!**

Chapter 6

Lois looked around the tent curiously. The sole man occupying the tent was hunched over a drawing with a magnifying glass that looked like it had seen better days.

She waited a moment, thinking he would notice her presence. When that took too long she cleared her throat, loudly of course. She entered the tent without being invited in and took a seat at one of the folding chairs.

"So, what are you looking at?" She thought he was going to ignore her again, until she picked up a figurine from the table and began to examine it. He stopped what he was doing and grabbed it back from her, gently of course. However, he made his point. _Look but don't touch_.  
He looked at her with slanted eyes. His gravelly voice matching his rough bearded appearance. "Is there something I can do for you Miss….?"

She was dumbstruck looking at him up close and seeing his features fully. _No. It couldn't be. Could it?_ "Um, it's Lane. And you are?"

"That's not important. What are you doing here? This is private property."

She sat back in the chair. He didn't? Did he? She let out a breath. "_Of course_. You know Clark somehow. And he told you I came here and wanted you to baby-sit me." She caught a glimmer of something in his eyes, surprise, and then it was gone.

"Clark? Who the hell is Clark? Look lady, I have important work to get done here and I can't have people poking around the finds until I can catalog everything for the job I was hired to do. So if you would be so kind as to bug someone else, I would appreciate it."

He wanted to play difficult. She could be difficult. "Look, isn't it easier to keep an eye on me, if I stick around closer to your tent? Isn't that the idea?" She stood up and pretended to consider exiting the tent. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should go somewhere else, I'm sure could dig up all kinds of interesting facts and stories a little further from this town. I heard there is a band of thieves that have been visiting the dig sites after hours and I bet I could find a great spot to hide out and catch them in the act."

She pretended to walk towards the door once more and then turned to and caught him staring at her thoughtfully.

Smiling she turned back around parked back in the chair. Propping her chin in her hand she smiled at Carter. "How well do you know Clark?"

He leaned back and rubbed a hand over his face. "First tell me this. How the hell did you figure out who I am?"

She leaned forward conspiratally. "Obviously you're not a big reader. I wrote an article about you and your friends a few months back. _The Justice League_. Your face was plastered all over page 1 along with your friends. A girl doesn't forget the stories she writes, and especially not when it makes it above the line."

He closed his eyes as if he couldn't believe it. She could tell by his face he _had_ read the article. He looked at her curiously. All traces of hostility gone. It didn't make him appear any less grouchy though. "I didn't think you knew about Clark. About who he really was?"

She nodded sadly. "I'm not supposed to know, and the fact is he slipped up. He doesn't know that I know. Please don't tell him! I'm not ready for him to know. For him to ever know maybe. That's why I'm here."

Carter stood up then. Grabbing a glass bottle of bourbon and two glasses he plopped them on the table. "So let me get this straight? We're stuck here for God knows how long because you want to play peek-a-boo with Clark's secret identity." Lois smiled at him. She was gong to get along just fine with Carter Hall.

Clark wandered in to Watchtower to find what he'd been dreading. Oliver an emotional mess. Empty glasses and bottles lay scattered on the coffee table. If anything could put Oliver over the edge it was Chloe's disappearance. He wasn't going to do any better when Clark shared what he had found with him.

Oliver sat up and looked at Clark hopefully but when Clark stood silently and finally shook his head he hung his head in defeat. "So she's really gone then?" It was not a question meant for Clark. Not really. Clark would not have even heard him without his superhearing.

"She's gone Oliver. I've looked at all the databases I have access to at the Planet, and it's like she is off the grid completely." He looked up only to find Oliver nodding in understanding. Then he looked at the blank screens around him. One was broken, like someone had deliberately thrown something at it. So Oliver had found the same thing he had. Chloe had somehow erased her entire existence before she had left.

He sat down next to Oliver. "Oliver, you can't let this control you. We'll find her when she's ready to be found. She loved you enough to sacrifice herself for you. You owe it to her to let her be."

Oliver gave him a look of disbelief. "So that's it huh? I'm supposed to forget she was even with me, was part of this team? I thought she was your best friend Clark. I guess you really are an alien. You don't even have a heart. You let Lois walk away didn't you?" With that Oliver left the room and went upstairs.

Clark let him go. It was the pain and alcohol talking. He was right though. Clark did let Lois go. Let her go without telling her who he was, or what she meant to him. He'd tried that night before he'd fought Zod. He'd lost her regardless. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He exhaled deeply. Maybe he needed to finally realize that he wasn't meant to be with anyone. That he could only do what he needed to do, but he needed to do it _alone_.

After several drinks Carter had told her the story of the Justice League's run in with Clark and got answers to why Clark had missed out on their breakfast date and why he wasn't too heartbroken about missing out on the big story that she had cracked. He'd met the real deal up close and personal. Carter even told her bits and pieces of Shayera. His great love. And of being born over and over again only to lose her in the end. He didn't go into too much detail and Lois didn't push. She could tell it was hard for him to speak about his wife. Even after all these years. To have a love like that. Lois envied him.

It was much later in the evening and they'd talked for hours. She couldn't get enough of the stories, of the heroes that had been in Metropolis so close she could have run into them. She had run into _one_ of them at least. She smiled better understanding Dr Fate's predictions for her. They were about her and Clark. Then as quickly as it had come the smile was gone. She'd told Clark she didn't necessarily believe in Fate. Just because some guy in a mask had told her she would be there for Clark didn't mean it was true. Look where she had ended up. In the middle of the dessert across the world from where Clark was this very moment.

Carter saw the grim look on her face and interrupted her thoughts.

"Lois. Are you sure you did the right thing by coming here?"

"He's better off without me. Trust me, I'd cause him more trouble that he doesn't need right now."

"Sounds to me like you made the decision for him. Without letting him have any say in it. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were running away Lois."

"I'm not a runner! At least not for a long time. This time I'm doing what's best for someone else. I'm trying really hard not to be selfish here, so give a girl a break huh?" She wiped away a stray tear. Great…now the waterworks were starting up. She needed to get out of here before she made a fool out of herself. Then she made the mistake of looking up at him. He stood there patiently, waiting for something. For her to explain. Fine. She would explain her reasoning and he would see why this was so important. She told him what had happened with the Lex clone. Every last bit of it. He took it all in silently, and not saying anything until she had finished her story. "So that's why I'm here. If people knew what Clark and I meant to each other, what Clark could really do, they could use me against him."

He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sometimes we have to do what's best for the ones we love. But wouldn't you rather be by his side, instead of him worrying about you because you weren't? It's just as big a distraction to him with you gone. Trust me, I know. He keeps sending me these text messages checking up on you."

She smiled at little at his expression. "If you need protecting, and I'm not saying you do," he said with a laugh and his hands up in surrender, when she gave him a look, "It's easier for Clark to protect you closer to home. And sometimes heroes need someone to keep them on the path they need to be on. It's too easy to lose your way when you're alone, and the lines begin to blur, when there's not someone there along the trip with you. It's the people in our lives that show us what's truly important. If you're on your own, you can forget what it is you're fighting for and lose yourself in the battle. Trust me, I know. Clark helped me to see that."

She looked at him with tear filled eyes. He had her attention now so he continued, "He won't follow you here, you know. He's assumed you're pursing this career move because it's what's best for you and you don't forgive him for lying to you. Remember Lois, he's only dealing with the information he has. He doesn't know you've figured out that he's really the Blur and you're doing this _for_ him. Lois, I'm not saying there are no risks in this relationship, because there are. Mostly for you. What I'm saying is with great responsibility comes the strength to carry it. If you can decide to be with him, you can make it work. Don't let anyone use you against Clark. But don't leave him in this fight alone if you really love him. _Fight for him_."

"Is that how it was with you and Shayera? Was she like me?"

"By like you, you mean without powers?" He paused as if trying to figure out how to best phrase it. "She had powers, but she wasn't one to sit on the sidelines even if she didn't. In a lot of ways though, you do remind me of her. Having powers doesn't mean you can't help, or support him even. Just look at what Chloe does for the group and she doesn't have a single power that I can see."

"Chloe?" By the look in Carter's eyes she could tell that he knew he had made a mistake.

"My cousin Chloe? I figured she at least knew Clark's secret but I didn't know that she was a part of the group. That means she knows about Oliver too." She sat down with a thump. "How could I have been so blind? Am I really that clueless to what's going on around me?"

It didn't bother her that Chloe was involved. Not really. It made sense after all. She'd been friends with Clark for years, and there was a reason for her closeness with Oliver this last year. If they had been working together that would certainly do it. Chloe had been much too involved in her "work" when she had lost Jimmy.

Lois' heart hurt thinking of Clark not knowing why she'd really left. Clark, who had the biggest heart of anyone she knew, all alone. Carter was right. He deserved more from her and he of all people deserved to be loved. But not from afar. But it would be on her terms. She would be there for him, support him, as much as he needed. But she wouldn't tell him that she knew his secret. That was for him to share with her when he trusted her enough. She knew in her heart, it would be soon. She had to trust in that. She had to trust in him.

She grabbed up her bag and startled Carter by giving him a big hug. "Thank you."

She turned and started to head for the door. "Lois? Where are you going?"

She turned and smiled at him. "I'm going home, tonight if possible. If I can bribe someone to take me to the airport." He sighed in resignation. So much for a peaceful evening. Clark would have his head if something happened to her during the night.

"I'll take you…just let me get my stuff. What's the big hurry anyway? Couldn't it wait until the morning?"

"The sooner I get home the better. He _needs me_ Carter. " She leveled her no-nonsense stare at him. He sighed once more and went about looking for his keys. He couldn't find an argument to delay her. He had been been the one to convince her of that. She continued under her breath, "_Even if he doesn't know it yet_."

_**I hope you liked this installment! I won't be so slow to upload the next chapter. Please read and review! **_


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